1. Authentic refers to something that is reliable and trustworthy, with a verifiable source or basis.2. In colloquial terms, it can also mean sincere or genuine.3. It describes something that is true, real, and genuinely what it claims to be; it can also refer to something that is very realistic or lifelike.4. In the context of documents such as contracts or affidavits, authentic means official, verified, complete in procedural terms, and legally effective.5. In music, an authentic cadence is a specific type of harmonic conclusion at the end of a composition.6. Although considered archaic, the term can also be used interchangeably with authoritative.